So Close, So Far
by Setsumi-san
Summary: A collection of PyronXJun vignettes! These scenes include everything from the fluffy 'Waterfall' to the angsty 'Bittersweet' to the downright funny 'Secret.' Come on in and feel the sweetness of Jun and Pyron's romance.
1. Flutter

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF

    Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King in any way, shape, or form. All I own is the plot. 

    Quotable quotes: "Of course, Tao Jun. I became your mochirei with my own free will," Lee Pyron, Shaman King Ep. # 23 

                                              Vignette # 1: Flutter

    I'm only four years old. Why is this happening to me? I just had to talk back to my father. I just had to have a big mouth. Now I'm going to be punished by being thrown in _there._

    "NO!!" I roar at the top of my lungs. Two cold, lifeless devils carry me to a stinking concrete hell as I kick and thrash for all it's worth. In a way I'm proud of myself. It takes _two_ kyonshi to hold me down. Take that Father. I'll never stop. They will have to crack my skull into itsy bitsy pieces to make me stop because I am strong. I will have to hear it crackle.

    _Jingle, jingle, clink!_ My ivory wrists are chained to the dungeon walls. I'm beginning to regret being strong. I'm four. When most girls are four they know everything. I am too dumb to know when not to be sassy. Since I was dumb I'll be left in here to starve for two whole days. I pull away. Maybe I can pull the chains off of the walls if I try hard enough. 

    No…it's hopeless. What was I thinking? Tired and hungry, I being to bawl like a puppy. Wait…what's this? My chains are changing. They are…

    IT CAN'T BE!

    Oh…Oh merciful God! The chains are turning into snakes! The yellow beasts strangle my hands, and coil their heads around my arms. I'll die! Help! _I'll die!!_

    "_Tao Jun!_" they rasp in inhuman voices. How can they speak?! "_Die!! Die and roast! Roast in hell with us! Burn, you little bitch!"_  I wail like a police car siren. I don't want to go to hell! 

    "_Please!!_  * hic *  _I'm sorrryyyy!!!"_ I wail. 

    "_Tao Jun!" _ they hiss again. The snakes say it over and over and wriggle themselves; shaking me along with them. Suddenly, their voices become familiar. No…more than familiar…gentle.

    "Tao Jun!"  My eyelids flutter open. The shaking of the two snakes was nothing more than the arms of my beloved Lee Pyron rocking me back and forth. I'm not in the dungeon. He's protecting me. Halfway dazed, I look up at Pyron's handsome, caring face. 

    "You were having a nightmare," he explains. 

    "Y-Yes… I know. Please stay with me," I beg. I must sound pathetic. I don't like to be scared. That is not who I am. Yet my darling knight just kisses me, runs his fingers through my hair, and whispers how he loves me so. I sigh happily.

    Mmm…my eyes are starting to flutter again. I hear Pyron softly tell me he will be standing right outside my door if I need him again. He is so good to me.

    I have a feeling that I'll have pleasant dreams for the rest of the night.

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    (End of vignette #1)  There you have it.  ^_^  Please review and tell me what you think so far.__


	2. Waterfall

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF

    Quotable quotes: "He sounds like a chicken."

                               " Well you're not going to be calling him a chicken when he's kicking your ass," – My friend Danielle and I on Lee Pyron's battle cries as he beats up Yoh. 

***********************************************************************************************

     JSF: (to Pyron) You know…you really did sound like a chicken now that I think about it. 

     Pyron: -_-'  

     Jun: (tries not to laugh) 

     JSF:  **Author's note:** This vignette takes place during episode # 41 when Anna and company come to support Yoh on the way to Patch Village.

Vignette # 2: Waterfall

     "What's the matter? Are you afraid of getting wet?" Pyron teases his mistress, calling back to her on the sandy desert bank. He stands on one of many large stones that form a natural bridge across a crystal clear pool, an oasis, and beckons toward her. Having been daydreaming, she reacts to his voice with the look of a surprised kitten. She gives a trademarked smirk that is a tweaked brass wire and shakes her head.

     "No. I'm not made of sugar. I won't melt in water," answers Jun. "You're not thinking of pushing me in, are you?" She raises an eyebrow, halfway serious about the question. Her mochirei was honorable, but still…there were a lot of things she was learning about him each day. She considered herself a walking curse to him sometimes. After all, she didn't know too much about him even before they had fallen in love. Jun would not blame him if he decided to hate her for all it was worth again but he never did. 

     "Me? Do you think I would risk your wrath by doing that?" he chuckles softly. His laugh is like distant thunder at night. It is the kind you listen to when you cannot sleep. Pyron extends his hand toward her, and the oasis's waterfall shines against his back. With that, Jun's heart warms and she puts her own palm in his. 

     _Thump_ is the noise her slipper makes against the stone as she leaps onto it. The soulmates watch the waterfall cascade down together with their heads and hearts in the clouds. When they get bored of it they simply turn to each other and smile sweetly. Each isn't aware of anything except the other face looking at them.

     After a while Pyron asks, "Does sugar really melt in water?" 

     "Yes," Jun says. "I've dropped cotton candy in a puddle before. It melts instantly and is very irritating." 

     "Ah. It must be," he replies. Then he gets a big grin on his face. "Jun, quickly! Look at this!" 

     "What? What is it?" she asks.

     "Shhh! Just look!" he insists.

     "Don't shush me! I'll…oh, wow!" she breathes.

     Amongst the mist of the fall and sunbeams, a little rainbow has formed. Once again they have no need for words. The two only embrace and feel love forever. 

     (End of vignette # 2)

     JSF: Ah, pointless fluff! Sometimes it's the best kind of fanfiction. 

     Pyron: ^-^ 

     Jun: ^-^ 

     JSF: ^-^ 

     Fellow Rabid PyJun shippers: ^-^

     Jun: ^-^  Hey JSF…

     JSF: ^-^ Yeah…? 

     Jun:  ^-^ My face is starting to hurt…

    (Minna sweatdrop.)

     You people know the drill: Read and review!  


	3. Discipline

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF

    Quotable quotes: "A samurai is nothing without his sword. My Bailong has no equal!!!"-Tao Jun, in the U.S.A. Shonen Jump issue # 9

     JSF: As you may have guessed already, the quotes are going to be focusing on the couple or from those close to them.

     Pyron: Why is my name spelled differently in the U.S.A. version? 

     JSF: I don't know. Hell, I'm not even spelling your name right in my fics. I'm just spelling it by how it sounds in the Japanese version even though it's "Pailong." 

    **Author's note:** This vignette takes place during episode #23. Also, "itai" is a Japanese way of saying "ouch."  

Vignette # 3: Discipline

     Ugh…What day is it? Where am I? Did…did I protect _her_? Is she, my Jun, alive and well? What's going on?

     "Pyron!" my dao-shi exclaims. Oh thank God!  Everything is okay. I am being cradled in her arms as though I was made of glass and she gazes at me with the relief of a doctor who has just saved a small child from the edge of death. I crane my neck in her direction, murmur her name, and rise to a sitting position. 

     "…Itai…" I mutter, but nothing actually hurts. Yet I know that something strange has happened to me and I have been fighting someone or something. Don't ask me how I know; it's just instinct.  Then, as if she can read my mind, Jun answers the hurricane of questions swirling inside of it.

     "You were under the control of my father," she tells me in a feather-soft voice. **BAM!** All of the horrifying memories hit me at once like a bolt of lightning. Yes…Jun had called upon me when her father, that damn soul-sucking maggot, had summoned those two kyonshi to take her away…then I was slammed into something…her crystal voice shouted my name…and then one motive was placed into my mind: _Annihilate Tao Ren and the roaches that have allied with him._ Oh God…if Daodan-do hadn't taught me to be so disciplined I would throw myself at this angel's feet right now, sob, and beg for her forgiveness.

     No! Calm down Lee Pyron. Do not upset Jun in any way. Collect yourself…

     "Really?" I ask her. Maybe this is just a bad dream. However, her silence says all. My soul shakes like an earthquake with guilt. I couldn't protect her. I want to scream, but years of discipline force me to stay quiet. 

     "Pyron…I hope you can give me a hand," Jun says with brave eyes. I stare at her for a minute longer, and then understand. How very funny. She thinks she has to _request_ my help. 

     "Of course, Tao Jun. I became your mochirei with my own free will," I reply. Doesn't this silly young lady know I will follow her everywhere? 

     "Pyron…" she says happily. "Okay. Let's go." So we do.

     It's amazing how she can command me with anything she wants to… 

     JSF: That is probably one of my favorite scenes in all of Mankin. It's just so sweet when Jun stays with Pyron until he wakes up. (blows her nose)  * sniffle *  Sorry…read and review please!


	4. Secret

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF 

     Quotable quotes: "Look at your vacant gaze. Your stupidity is boundless!"- Pyron's sensei, Shamon, in U.S.A. Shonen Jump issue # 11.

***********************************************************************************************

     JSF: Pyron may have had a clueless look on his face, but it was an adorable clueless look. 

     Jun: Yes it was. I remember it. 

     Pyron: (flustered) D-Don't…please Jun-chan. 

     Jun: ^_^

     **Author's notes:** 1. This vignette takes place in Patch Village. 2. For those of you who are looking forward to the next chapter of Shaman King Movie Previews: I'm battling writer's block on that fic. It's almost done though so don't worry. 

Vignette # 4: Secret

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     Tao Jun tapped the arm of the couch she was sitting on nervously. Why did her secret have to be found out now? She supposed it would happen sooner or later, but couldn't it have been _later?_ How would Ren react to his only sister being madly in love with her own kyonshi? He would explode on site! 

     "Ahhh!" she yelled as she felt a freezing hand her touch her shoulder from behind. "Oh! It's only you, my Pyron." 

     "I'm very worried about you," her kyonshi said with a concerned frown on his face. "You haven't been your usual calm self at all lately. What's the matter?" 

     She got off the couch and faced Pyron, biting her lower lip nervously. "We have a huge problem. I…I think Ren is starting to suspect us!" 

     Had he been alive Pyron would have turned pale as a bedsheet. Jun and he were determined to keep their affair under wraps. Hadn't they been doing a good job of it? Oh sure there were a few stolen glances here and there, but no one seemed to notice…did they?  

     "What makes you think that? Has Ren said anything to you?" he queried. 

     "No…but he _has_ been giving us strange looks as of late when we are together in public," she replied. 

     "That doesn't mean anything. Besides, when could he have noticed us? We don't show that much affection in public. If I were an observer to us I would think we were nothing more than dear friends," he countered. 

     "Well you're not an observer and Ren will disown me if he finds out that I love you!" Jun snapped. Her beloved held up his hands, palms facing outward, and wore an expression that said, "Well, excuse me!" She shut her eyes, put her forehead in her hand, and sighed in exasperation. 

     Pyron stayed silent for a moment. He hated to see Jun this way even if she _did_ have a point. Putting himself into a meditative state, the former actor tried to think of how to handle the dilemma. Unfortunately he had about as many solutions as an ex-pimp has probability of becoming a Catholic monk. He was soon interrupted by Jun's voice. 

     "What worries me most isn't the fact that my brother will know that I care about my mochirei. It's the possibility that he might think we are…_lovers_…" Jun said with a shudder.  Pyron's jaw nearly unhinged from shock and disgust. 

     "But we're **NOT!!** We swore that we'd never do such things long ago when we first realized our feelings for one another!" he exclaimed.

     "I _know._ So do you, but no one else does," she pointed out. The young lady began pacing up and down the room like a nervous pussycat. "Do you remember when we were sitting together on that bench in Patch Village two days ago? I caught a glimpse of Ren and his teammates walking down the street. I think he saw us holding hands." 

     The kyonshi tried not to get himself anxious. "How many times has he seen us?" 

     "I'm sure it's at least eleven…maybe more," Jun said. Pyron and she hugged each other tightly. So much was going on! Everyone had made it to Patch Village, the Shaman Fights were getting more serious each day, and now they might lose each other! Heaven help them! 

     "You don't have to hide it anymore Neesan," came a voice from the doorway. It was Ren in all his glory. He carried his kwan dao in the crook of one arm and let his free hand rest in his pocket. Jun looked sick to her stomach and she immediately pulled away from Pyron. 

     "Ren! Please hear me out. This might not seem normal…alright…it's _not_. However-" Jun started, but got cut off by her brother. 

     "Let me guess; you're afraid I will think you are freakish. You're afraid I'll hate both of you and sentence you to a fate so gruesome you'll wish you had gone to hell instead," Ren interrupted. 

     "Uh…_instead?_" Pyron asked. He gulped. Now what? 

     "_Yes,_" the boy said with emphasis. His lion-gold eyes sent a steely glare in Pyron's direction. "Neesan…I'll admit I was surprised when I learned that you were in love…but I could never, ever hate you or your significant other." Ren gave a small, warm smile to his sister. A smile from Ren was like a rare diamond, and he gave those diamonds only to Jun. 

     "You…approve? You…don't think that I'm freakish?" Her eyes watered with joy and she almost sank to her knees in relief. 

     Ren gave a loud "Humph!" and threw his head back. "Our father is 'freakish'. You're the complete opposite. You could have told me before, you know," he snorted. 

     "I…could have?" Jun asked. 

     Her brother sighed. "Neesan…" he began, "Why didn't you just _tell_ me you had a crush on a girl?" 

     "ACK!!" Jun cried. She fell over and left a perfect body imprint in the floor while Pyron sweatdropped. 

     Jun: You made him think I was _gay_?!  

     JSF: I just couldn't   pass over such a good idea I had in my head. Don't worry though; that's the most torture I'd ever put my favorite female Mankin character through. Oh, to my dear readers: I support shojo-ai 100%.  (I luv Anna/Pillica! ^_^) Please don't assume I'm a homophobe of any sort. Read and review, please! 


	5. Ballet

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF

* * *

Quotable quotes: "Kisama!"-Tao Ren, in God knows how many episodes/issues of Shaman King.

* * *

JSF: (looking pissed) I feel like shouting multiple obscenities myself. In fact I think I will! (proceeds to swear at the top of her lungs and chop a wooden table in half with her bloody axe) 

Jun: What's the matter with you?

Pyron: (whispers) She just saw the latest dubbed episode of Shaman King.

JSF: (tears up) OH JUN-SAMA!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEXT WEEK THEY'RE GOING TO DUB ONE OF MY FAVORITE EPISODES-"SPRING RAIN"!!!! ONLY THIS TIME IT WON'T BE SPRING RAIN BECAUSE THE CENSORS CHANGED HARUSAME INTO THE STUPID SWORD OF LIGHT AND I'M SCARED THAT CHIBI AMIDAMARU AND MOSUKE WILL BE GIVEN UN-CUTE VOICES AND-AND-AND-WAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (buries her face in Jun's chest)

Jun: --' There, there…

Pyron: Do you want me to take care of the author's notes?

JSF: WAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Pyron: --' I'll take that as a yes. **Author's note:** _Ofuda_ is another word for a Dao-shi's paper charms. That's just so you don't get confused.

* * *

Vignette # 5: Ballet

There is a small gymnasium inside of our house where Ren works out and trains sometimes. However, it is my Pyron who has made this room his second home. He doesn't know it, but I always watch him whenever it is possible. Whenever I hear the battle cries he makes I watch my Pyron dance a strange dance of missiles and bombs. It's breathtaking and a little frightening.

"_Ah-tah-tah-tah-tah-tah-taaahh!!!"_ he yells. His feet seem to move in time with the shouting kick by kick onto a padded blue mat that is propped against the wall. His mighty tree-trunk legs aim out perfectly sideways. My eyes keep expecting him to stop kicking and start walking sideways on the wall as thought he were a housefly. Hmm…actually it would more likely be _sprinting_ than walking.

I wish my eyes were sharp enough to see his movements individually. If I could slow this all down then perhaps I could see just how graceful he is. Ah yes…if only my eyes worked liked a video camera! Then I would view Pyron's moves frame-by-frame and watch this odd ballet. Maybe I'm a little jealous.

Wouldn't you be? The only fighting I've ever done is with _ofuda_. Even then I suppose you can't really say it's me fighting. I would just write the spell, place it on his forehead, and then my kyonshi fought for me. Actually…he still does.

_Thank you my Pyron,_ I think to myself. _Thank you for understanding and protecting me. Wo ai ni._ I'd tell him that now but he's quite busy. I won't interrupt his awe-inspiring ballet. I, Tao Jun, just melt into the shadows with a smile.

* * *

JSF: (sniffle) I hate the dub…Oh…I mean… please review. 

Jun: At least you still have your subtitled DVDs.

Pyron: -.-'''''


	6. Laughter

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF 

     Quotable quotes: "K-Kodomo?"-Lee Pyron stuttering out the Japanese word for "children", Shaman King Ep. 46

     JSF: It sounds much funnier in Japanese, ne? ^_^ It's not every day the "White Dragon" gets his butt whooped by a couple of kids. Hee hee.  =p 

     Pyron: I didn't get "whooped."

     JSF: No, but you almost did. 

     **Author's note:** This vignette has been on my mind ever since I saw that cute scene when Tamao and Jun are shopping in Patch Village and Pyron's carrying all their stuff. He was Jun's personal bagboy!!  I actually squealed with delight at how adorable it was. I had to write this down.  ^_________^

     Pyron: That smile means I'm going to be embarassed in this chapter doesn't it? 

     JSF: Yes you are, but it's only a little bit.

Vignette #6: Laughter

     Shopping is horribly dull. We just make it to Patch Village, barely unpack, and then Jun suggests that the pink haired girl, Tamao, and she go shopping together. Naturally her friend accepts the offer to unwind and I come along too in case any favors are needed. Alright, alright, I just want to be near Jun and do something fun with her. However, I forgot that shopping is about as fun to me as kissing a cactus. 

     It's not as though I hate carrying all these boxes. I actually enjoy doing that because I make a little game of seeing how fast I can walk without the miniature cardboard skyscraper wobbling. Call it crazy, but this game prevents me from being bored a tiny bit. The packages almost topple a few times but I steady myself and now I'm improving by the hour. Yes, I said hour.

     Oh dear God it's been a bucketful of hours! In fact it's nearly been a day! Does Jun never get tired? How many shoes, nightgowns, earrings, souvenirs, and cosmetics must a woman own?! I love her dearly but…oh…who am I kidding? All she has to do is hand me the newest thing she's bought, say thank you, and I turn into a total sucker. 

     As the sun sets we make our last stop at a perfume store. Tamao and Jun walk in, happily scout all the shelves, and test multiple scents. I am just content to follow them, carefully set down everything on the floor, and sit in a chair and wait. The only other customer in the shop is a grumpy looking lady shaman who seems to be about fifty years old.

     She's not a pleasant person to look at. Rail thin; this woman's skin is the color of leather. Her mousy unkempt hair is a depressing shade of gray and her lips are in a constant pout or frown. I wonder if she uses a bad artificial tanner. The old walking stick turns her head in Jun's direction and sneers silently.

     I automatically feel defensive. What did Jun do? She is only talking and laughing with her friend. Oh, forgive her for being so noisy and doing what anybody does! Yes, yes, she doesn't know any better.

     "Oh Pyron," Jun says to me, "We're ready to go. I'll pay for this and then we'll go home and have dinner." My bad mood vanishes. I can't be in a bad mood when she speaks.

     I stand behind my dear priestess as she buys a small bottle of a perfume. The saleslady is trying to convince her to buy the larger bottle but Jun knows what she wants. She's too smart to be caught in any kind of trap.

     "Are you sure? It's the same as if you bought two small bottles. In fact, one _large_ one would be cheaper ma'am," the saleslady persists.

     "Thank you. I'm _quite_ satisfied," Jun replies in a polite but firm tone. 

     "Please just consider it ma'am. Here, I'll show you the advantages," the pushy employee says. She takes out a large bottle from under the counter and proceeds to spritz her but Jun quickly ducks down. That leaves me wide open so _I_ get sprayed instead. 

     "Pyron-san! Are you alright?" Tamao exclaims worriedly. Jun gasps and puts her hands on my face.

     "I'm fine. I was only caught off guard. My eyes can't get irritated by it," I answer blinking a little. Both girls suddenly sweatdrop. 

     "What is it?" I ask stupidly. 

     "You…uh…smell like gardenias…" Jun tells me.

     "I do?" I ask. Being dead, I have no sense of smell so I wouldn't know at all. I, Lee Pyron, smell like a pretty perfume… It's…so…hilarious! I burst out laughing. 

     "What's so funny?" Jun asks me. I stop my chortling for a minute. 

     " It's just…me! Imagine _me_…wearing women's perfume! I have to laugh!" I explain. I crack up some more and everyone else by me does too. I suppose laughter really is contagious. I playfully take Jun's own perfume and spray it all over myself. They are practically out of breath with guffawing as I strike a few silly poses. 

     "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," I joke. I love doing this. It feels good for this old actor to have an audience again.

     Suddenly the grumpy looking woman from across the store shuffles over to us scowling. One by one we stop what we are doing and look at her. Her sour face has ruined the mood. She snorts disgustedly. 

     "Honestly," grumbles the woman, "Don't shamans these days know enough not to play with their mochirei as if it were a toy? A spirit cannot be efficient if it is treated like that."  The whole room grows silent.

     Tamao stares at the floor. The saleslady gives an awkward smile. Jun glares at the old woman. I turn my head away and roll my eyes to the ceiling. The laughter seems to just evaporate. 

     Suddenly Jun walks toward the old lady confidently, stops right in front of her, looks her square in the eyes, and casually flips her off. 

     "Jun-san!" Tamao shouts, shocked. The old woman's jaw drops. She mutters something under her breath and storms out. I smile.

     "Thank you Tao Jun," I say a little shyly. She smirks back at me. 

     "It's the truth. You're not a toy," is all she says.

     Pyron: You just had to make me smell like gardenias didn't you?

     JSF: ^_^ Yep! Gardenias are one of the nicest smelling flowers ever. 

     Pyron: You couldn't resist making me smell extra feminine could you?

     JSF: Nope! ^_^ Wait, how would you know what makes something "extra feminine?" 

     Pyron: Ummmm… 

     JSF: That's what I thought. (Turns to her dear readers) I shouldn't have to keep begging you for reviews, should I? Good. You know what to do. Ja ne!


	7. Repose

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF

     Quotable Quotes: "As you know the only way to forcefully take a ghost is by incapacitating the shaman. And by incapacitate I mean **kill**."- Tao Jun, in U.S.A. Shonen Jump issue #9

     JSF: Tao Jun: Whether good or evil, she still manages to stay as cool as hell.

     Jun: Actually, "cool as hell" is an oxymoron. 

     JSF: (rolls eyes) Whatever. Let's just start the chapter.

Vignette #7: Repose

     Did you know that dolphins never sleep? Part of their brains simply shut off while the other parts control their actions, so instead of sleeping they just remain in sort of a slowed down state the whole time. It's the exact same feeling you have when you lie in a hammock and feel the warm sunshine. I'm not a dolphin but I do sleep like one. That is because I am one of the living dead. 

     I lie in my coffin during the night time in a meditative state and collect thoughts in my head like shining silver fish in a net. They're everything from random musings to happy memories to self-advice. I never worry because the purpose of meditation is to stay calm. How do I stay so calm all night for so long? I have a secret technique. 

     At some point each night I slide the lid off of my coffin and get out. Next, I walk up a few flights of stairs toward a particular bedroom. Finally, when I arrive there I go inside as quietly as possible and gaze upon its occupant. She is a sleeping beauty. Her name is Tao Jun. 

     I always guard her every night for thirty minutes and watch her sleep. Now, while I kneel beside her bed, I see her emerald hair fall freely about her face and neck. Her breathing is soft and quiet. One arm covered by the cream colored sleeve of her nightgown sticks out onto the bedspread. She stirs a little bit and lets out a long sigh in the darkness.

     Oops. Did I wake her up? I freeze and wait to see what she does. Phew…she's still asleep. That is very good. She needs all the rest she can get. 

     My darling Jun, if it was up to me you would always rest. You would never work another day in your life and I would do everything for you. It makes me so happy to see you sleeping peacefully. I always feel obligated to guard you and don't know what I would do if you were taken from me. I love you so much. 

     I glance at the clock on the table behind me. I've been here for thirty minutes, reassured myself Jun is safe, and guaranteed myself peace of mind. I'll go back to my coffin, but before I leave I have to do one last thing. Carefully I bend my head down and kiss the forehead of the woman I love. My insides get soft and I walk out smiling.

     "Just stay in repose," I whisper.

     JSF: * sigh *   I got a sappy feeling when I wrote this. I'm not too sure Pyron would have the word "repose" in his vocabulary because most people just say "sleep" but the first word is much prettier and I couldn't resist. 

     Pyron: (pouts) _I_ think my vocabulary's pretty good…

     Jun: (pats his arm) There, there. Not everyone knows a lot of big, fancy words. 

     Pyron: Heeyyy, are you picking on me? 

     Jun: Yes. 

     Pyron: (pouts again) 

     JSF: There you have it folks. Tell me what you think.   


	8. Bittersweet

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF 

     Quotable quotes: "Don't touch Jun!"-Lee Pyron to his controlled sensei, Shaman King Ep. # 23

     JSF: You might wanna grab a box of tissues folks. This chapter's a bit of a tear-jerker.

     Jun: How so? 

     JSF: Let's just say this chapter is for anyone else who wondered about the picture of the woman and those two kids with Pyron in Shonen Jump #10.   

Vignette #8: Bittersweet

     A newspaper rustled in a pair of tense hands with dread. Two blue eyes looked at a certain article on page 16, section C. Beads of sweat poured down a smooth forehead. The hands slammed the newspaper down on the kitchen table and clutched a woman's chest in panic. Jun, the owner of all these body parts, did not like what she had just read. 

     She had picked up a newspaper for her kyonshi from the mail as she always did every week. Pyron never got to go out in public unless it was absolutely necessary (Could you imagine the stir people would cause upon seeing a dead celebrity walking down the streets?) so the least she could do for him was provide all the windows to the outside world possible. However, when he read this little article he would go insane. What was she going to do? 

     "Shit," she grumbled, "There's only one option. I'll have to throw it away. He'll never miss it and never know. I'll save him all the pain and he'll never, ever, ever know." 

     She'd spoken to soon. Lee Pyron had softly walked into the kitchen just as she finished her sentence. He smiled and nodded to her. Jun tried to do the same but ended up with a weak, artificial grin on her face. He looked a little concerned, but returned to normal when he noticed the paper.

     He started off, "Thank you for getting it for me. I always enjoy reading thi-" 

     "You can't read this one!" she blurted out, placing an iron grip on the paper. Pyron took a step back in surprise and then composed himself. 

     "Why not?" he asked with a suspicious look. Jun shuffled toward the trash can with the paper still in her hand.

     _It will break your heart, _she thought. What came out was, "Don't you dare question me." 

     He stared at her with a calm, neutral expression on his face for about five seconds and then snatched it away from her in one smooth motion. Jun protested loudly and tried to get it back from him. He heard her yell something about '16-C' and then saw it. 

     "It" wasn't a very big article, but the headline was larger than life. The words read:** Daughter of Martial Arts Legend Weds.**

     "Ying-ying…"  he breathed. How long had it been since he'd last seen his little girl?

     "Pyron…I…" Jun began helplessly.

     "Excuse me," her zombie whispered. He walked out of the kitchen and slammed the door behind him. Jun could hear him crying. She'd seen him cry when Yoh Asakura had fought them together, but she'd never heard him cry before. It was sort of a _bwuuuhhh_ sound. The Chinese beauty clapped her hands over her ears. 

     "I don't hear it. I don't hear it. I don't hear it," she repeated over and over again. _But if I didn't exist…he could be happy! When I was born he died! Dammit!! _she thought. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. An eternity seemed to pass before she felt a cold embrace around her body and an icy kiss on her cheek. It was Pyron.

    "I'm terribly sorry. I'm fine now. It's just that…I do miss my son and my daughter. I still wonder about them," he murmured to her with a sad little smile.

     "No…I'm sorry for being born. I hate myself for existing," Jun choked out between tears. Pyron gasped softly and stroked her.

     "Tao Jun…" he whispered, and teared up all over again. She threw herself at him and they held each other tightly. Each was comforting and being comforted. Neither one spoke, but only wept on each other and thought of guilt and bittersweet memories.

     JSF: I really don't think it would be appropriate to add a witty comment after this chapter so I'll just let you, dear reader, put in your two cents.   


	9. Green

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF

     Quotable quotes:  **Ryu: **I was just getting to know Ms. Jun and now we have already separated. It tears me up inside.   Really too bad.  

                                 **Pyron:** What's too bad? 

                                 **Ryu:** Geh! Pyron!

                                 **Yoh:** He just came to wish us farewell. 

                                 **Jun:** Pyron, you really shouldn't scare him like that. – From (I think it's French, but I'm not sure.) a French translation of the Shaman King manga.

     JSF: ^_^  Isn't that cute? Pyron was jealous.

     Pyron: What the-?! I was not! 

     JSF: ^_^ Yes you were! 

     Pyron: No I wasn't! 

     JSF: Yes you were! 

     Pyron: (blushes bright red) **NO **I **WASN'T!! **

     JSF:** YES **you **WERE!!**

    (Pyron and JSF begin bitching at each other.) 

     Jun: **BE QUIET!!** We have a chapter to start. 

    (Both immediately shut up.) 

    JSF: Anyway, today's vignette deals with jealousy. Read and enjoy. 

Vignette #9: Green 

     _Plip, plip, plip…_

     Multiple raindrops pelted against the glass window of the Tao siblings' fancy hotel suite in Tokyo on a gray, dismal evening. Ren was sitting on a couch drinking his milk and reading a magazine. His sister Jun was leaning against the window gazing outside with worried eyes and talking to him about something that had been on her mind for about a month: Yoh Asakura. He wasn't really listening to every word, though. He wasn't concerned about that nobody insect of a shaman. 

    However, Jun hadn't stopped talking about the boy in what seemed like an eternity. It bugged her brother, but whom it _really_ bugged was her kyonshi, Lee Pyron. The dead man had also been leaning on the window and standing a few feet away from his mistress. He'd been looking at his reflection in the glass and the rain falling outside but had been listening to his dao-shi about that stupid boy for thirty minutes.

     It was driving him bonkers. 

     _What's so wonderful about Yoh Asakura anyway?_ he fumed to himself. _Why is a beautiful woman like you so fascinated with him? He's too young for you and your personalities clash! Besides, you'll probably never see him again! What…what does he have that **I** don't?_

     The poor zombie was lovesick over the girl next to him and she probably was lovesick over that boy she'd just fought. Deep down Pyron knew his feelings were fated to be one-sided. He was just a walking corpse now. Jun would only think of him as a brother…if he would be that lucky to get that close to her. Why, oh why, oh why, **oh why** did he have to fall in love?! 

     "He's got a certain feeling of peace about him. It's a certain philosophy that anyone, even a hardheaded idiot, can't help but listen to. Ren…his strength is unusual. I don't know where he gets it but I can tell he's going to be a tough rival," Jun said. She was still rambling on about Yoh. 

     **CLUNK!** Ren set his milk bottle on the table beside him and spoke up, "He was just lucky. I am the one who is destined to become Shaman King. I am stronger than before. You don't need to worry, so quit talking about him." 

     "You are strong," she replied slowly, "but don't underestimate him. I'm only saying what's true." 

     "You're starting to sound like our father! 'Don't underestimate so-and-so! Listen to my every word! Blah, blah, blah!'  That Asakura bastard is nothing special," Ren snapped. 

     "I have to agree with your brother!" Pyron blurted out, "I can't see anything special about him. He's really a speck of dust." 

     Jun whirled around angrily, faced Pyron, and gave him a glare that could have made Genghis Khan whimper. 

     "You…have…_some_…nerve," she hissed. "Aren't you grateful? That boy freed you!" 

     "Y-Y-Yes! I'm grateful for _that_…but…" he stammered. 

    "But what?! Speak up!!" she demanded. The kyonshi just stared at her helplessly. What could he possibly say? 'I'm horribly jealous of him because I'm in love with you and have been for weeks.' Yeah…right. 

     "Um…" was all that came out of Pyron's mouth. 

     "I thought so. Well since neither one of you will listen to me; I'm going into the kitchen to make some tea-by** myself**," she added as an afterthought. Pyron started to walk after her when Ren stopped him. 

     "You heard her. Don't worry; Neesan isn't one to get mad often and when she does she cools off quickly," the young shaman told him. Pyron sadly turned towards the window again and looked at his purplish-gray skin being reflected at him.

     _Heh, I shouldn't be gray,_ he thought bitterly, _I should be green…because I'm green with envy._

     JSF: Wow, I can't believe I've finished the second to last chapter! ^_^ I'm so proud of myself! 

     Jun: I'm surprised you actually stuck with updating a story so faithfully. 

     JSF: ^^' Well, the chapters are really short and easy to write. 

     Jun: You should be working on finishing your other stories, you know. 

     JSF: I will, I swear! I just won't do it _now._

     Jun: Then when _will_ you do it? 

     JSF: After I finish this (which should be in about three days at the most). 

     Jun: Sure… 

     JSF: Shaddup and let the people review…    


	10. Soulmates

So Close, So Far

A collection of Pyron/Jun vignettes by JSF 

     Quotable quotes: "As Gei Yin says, we betrayed them… We are really selfish." 

                                "Tao Jun…"  -Jun feeling guilty over how her family has treated Gei Yin and Pyron consoling her, Shaman King Ep. #46. 

     JSF: Aw! This couple just makes me feel all gooey inside. I hate to end this story because I'm on a PyJun streak right now, but I have to finish my other work. 

     Jun: Everything has to be finished sooner or later. 

     JSF: True. Anyway, you'll see how this story got its title in this chapter so keep a sharp eye out. 

     **Author's note: **1.In this vignette Jun is 23 years old. Her kyonshi, of course, hasn't aged a bit. 2. I don't own Asakura Hana. I'm almost positive he is Takei-san's creation. Either way, I don't own him. 

     JSF: Now without further ado, I present the final chapter. 

Vignette #10: Soulmates

     _It's wonderful to see Yoh and Anna again after all these years,_ thought Jun, _I really have missed Funbari Onsen and it's grown into such a nice place, although it would be nicer if it was less crowded. Oh well, that's the way Anna does business._

     She smoothed her new royal purple dress carefully and walked into the backyard to look at the stars. Twilight had just descended on that warm spring evening. Soft moonbeams made the tiny lotus blossom pattern on her dress stand out ever so slightly like a rabbit in a cabbage patch. The scene before her was beautiful but she felt…what was the word? Was she depressed? 

     No, she was worried. How could she not be? Everywhere she looked on this visit she saw happy couples and families that were stuck on each other like glue. There was Yoh and Anna with their two-year-old son, the guests having a good time at the onsen, and even Faust, now working as part of the medical staff, who never left Eliza's side. Jun couldn't help but wonder if her love with Pyron might fall apart when she observed everyone around her. 

     "A penny for your thoughts," came an amused voice from beside her. Jun blinked in surprise to see her significant other. 

     "How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

     "Long enough," he replied, "Did you want to be left alone?" 

     "Oh no. I'd really like your company," she said giving him a little smile. Pyron held her closely and the two cuddled affectionately for a while. She nuzzled against his chest and he gave her gentle kisses on her cheeks, lips, and neck. Jun would have enjoyed it more if she wasn't filled with so much anxiety. 

     The pretty shaman paused for a moment and asked, "Pyron, what does the word 'forever' mean to you?" 

     " 'Forever?' Uh, I always thought of it as meaning the same thing as 'infinite,' " he answered. 

     "Will you be with me forever? Our relationship is different from most people's and I hate that sometimes. I just hate the limits we have because I feel so close to you, yet so far at the same time," she murmured. 

     "Oh Jun," Pyron said soothingly, " Is that what you're upset about? Listen…I still love you even if we have our limits. I'll always stay by you even if we could never get married…" 

     "What?! Pyron, what was that last word you said?!" Jun exclaimed. 

     "…Married…" he repeated a little uneasily. Jun stared into his eyes with an expression of  "Pinch me" on her face. 

     "Do you mean that?" she breathed. He gazed at her and considered the thought. What if Tao Jun could be his wife? Would she be willing? Dammit, he wished he were alive again. 

     "Yes…I do mean it. Jun, if I were alive and well would you marry m-mmmmffff!" he was cut off by her lips on his own as she kissed him passionately and made a shiver of ecstasy go through his soul. Oh, he loved the way she kissed him. No other woman possessed the aura of mystic elegance like his Tao princess. 

     "Does that answer your question?" she whispered in his ear after breaking the kiss. 

     "It certainly does," he said, "I know we can't get married, so I'm going to promise you something here and now. I will follow you wherever you go, protect you from every danger, treat you as my equal, and love you unconditionally. You are my soulmate." 

     Jun took a deep breath, held her warrior's hands, and then spoke, "I promise you this: I will be good for the rest of my life so that when I die we can cross over to heaven and really be together. I will never hurt you or let anyone else do so. I will always be by your side and support you. You are my soulmate." 

     The couple leaned in towards each other's faces, closed their eyes, and almost kissed again when someone spoke up from the back door. 

     "You'll need a witness," Anna interrupted, "and since Yoh is the Shaman King he has the power to do anything. He'll be the witness for your special ritual. Also, don't forget to get your brother's blessings." 

     Yoh stepped out from behind his wife laughing his trademark laugh and congratulated them. Ren, who had been standing in the shadows, gave his best wishes on the condition that Pyron never break his promise. Pyron said he would never dream of it. 

     "Yoh, Ren! Come inside with me to check on Hana," Anna told the two men. 

     "Why should _I_ have to see about _your_ son?" Ren grumbled. Anna gave him a deathglare. Didn't he get the hint? 

     "_Inside…now,_" hissed the itako.  Both of them took off like a shot. Anna smirked and closed the back door. Jun and Pyron were finally alone.  

     Once again the soulmates sealed their promises with a kiss full of pure eternal love.

    *~ **The End ~***        


End file.
